Editor's Note: List of Schools on the PEG list can be found toward the bottom of this story.

AUSTIN, TEXAS (TEA) — The Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced Thursday the list of schools who have been identified under the Public Education Grant (PEG) Program. More than 15 South Texas districts have schools that fall under the program's authorization.

The list, effective for the 2014-2015 school year, identifies campuses with TAKS/STAAR passing rates that are less than or equal to 50 percent in any two of the the preceding three years or were rated Academically Unacceptable in 2011 or rating Improvement Required in 2013, according to the TEA. No ratings were issued in 2012.

Under the PEG interdistrict provision, parents of students may apply for their child to attend another school in or out of the current district if their campus is listed. However, the school chosen can accept or rejection the application, but criteria used may not discriminate on the basis of a student's race, ethnicity, academic achievement, athletic abilities, language proficiency, sex, or socioeconomic status.

Notification of eligibility must be provided by February 1, 2014, to each parent of a student in the district assigned to attend a school on the enclosed 2014-15 PEG list. Statute also stipulates that the notice must contain an explanation of the Public Education Grant Program and how the parent may obtain further information about pursuing a transfer.

Students may only transfer from a PEG school to non-PEG school. Under the PEG Program, no additional funding is allotted for intradistrict transfers.

Student eligibility for PEG transfers is based on assignment to attend a PEG campus in the district of residence. Student eligibility expires upon any of the following three conditions:

Completion of all grades offered by the campus upon which eligibility was originally based

Removal of the campus from the PEG list

Assignment of the student to a campus that is not on the PEG list as a result of redrawn attendance boundaries or student movement into a different attendance area

A receiving district is permitted to continue to treat a student as PEG eligible (and draw the PEG funding weight, 0.1) after expiration of eligibility only if the student has not yet completed all grades on the campus to which the student transferred during the eligibility period.

Tuition may not be charged to the student’s parents/guardian or to the school district of residence.

The school district in which the student resides is not required to provide transportation free of charge from the PEG-listed school to the new school. The district is only responsible for providing the transportation it would otherwise provide (as if the student did not transfer).

Questions concerning the PEG program and the methodology used to identify schools should be directed to the Division of Performance Reporting at (512) 463-9704. Questions regarding the funding implications of the program should be directed to the Division of State Funding at (512) 463-9238.